Baseball
For the Love of the Game: A Tribute to Zach & Jude Attianese
In the summer of 2018 the Old Bridge community suffered a huge loss when the lives of Zach and Jude Attianese were tragically taken in an automobile accident. Zach, 20, a rising pitcher in the NCAA and MLB prospect at the University of North Carolina, Jude his father and number one fan. Aside from being New Jersey’s 2014 Gatorade Player of they Year Old Bridge high school, Zach Attianese personified what it was to be a good sport as he worked tirelessly to achieve his dream of being a professional baseball player. The community organized a 10 team softball tournament entitled “For the Love of the Game” with all proceeds to be put in a scholarship for a high school athlete that exemplifies the character of not only being a star athlete, but a caring person like Zach Attinese. JSZ’s Nery Rodriguez has the story:
Tim Tebow’s Message to Jersey’s HS Athletes
On Wednesday the 11th Tim Tebow played in the East v West 2018 Double-A All-Star game at Arm & Hammer Park in Trenton, NJ. Tebow had some inspirational words for our high school athletes, and some advice for those who want to play at the next level. Check it out now:
JSZ Year in Review: Top Baseball Games of 2018
The 2018 high school baseball season saw sensational performances on the mound, incredible web gems, and clutch hits. Jersey Sports Zone captured hundreds of great moments and here are the Top 10 most viewed games on Jersey Sports Zone from last season in New Jersey high school baseball: #10: Toms River South 6 Brick Township 5 Legendary Coach Ken Frank and The Toms River South Indians found themselves in a rare position on Monday afternoon, winless through the first 3 games of 2018. Tied at 5 with Brick Township in the bottom of the 7th, South got a clutch double down the line in left by Jordan Erbe, followed up by an infield single off the bat of Shane Gibson to give the Indians a 6-5 walk-off win. Monmouth University commit TJ Scuderi continued his hot streak at the plate, going 2 for 3 in the win, while John Coppola hit a double & triple in the loss for the Dragons. Watch the Highlights from Toms River on JSZ! #9: St. Joe’s-Metuchen 4 Don Bosco Prep 1 St. Joseph Metuchen gave a new meaning to playing “lights out” baseball. Falcons had a 1-0 lead after 3 innings when the lights went out at Don Bosco Prep due to an electrical problem, a 20 minute delay followed before play would resume. The lights may have came back on, but the St. Joes defense kept Don Bosco in the dark. The Falcons, led by pitchers Nicolas Estes (Win) and Jake Hellwig (Save), shut down the Ironmen offense and got a 4-1 win on the road. Watch the Highlights from Ramsey on JSZ. #8: CBA 6 Wall 5 – Strike Out Autism at Central Regional High School Thomas Rodgers delivered a bases-loaded single in the 7th inning to give the Colts a walk-off win and a historic 800th career win for long-time CBA coach Marty Kenney. JSZ’s Jay Cook has highlights and post-game reaction from Bayville: #7: Middletown South 7 Middletown North 0 Sophomore Chris O’Connor had three hits, 2 RBI’s and a critical defensive play at third base in his varsity debut to lead Middletown South to a 7-0 win over their crosstown rival on opening day. Joe Sprake and Robby Zega combined on the shutout. Sprake threw four scoreless frames with 8 K’s and Zega got out of a jam in the 5th inning that allowed the Eagles to bust the game open. Middletown North starter Tyler Ras struck out 12 in five innings in front of multiple MLB scouts who watched his first start of 2018. O’Connor made a diving play at third base to get South out of a bases-loaded jam and doubled off of Ras to set up the game’s first run. JSZ has the highlights of another great battle of Middletown: #6: Seton Hall Prep 5 Caldwell 3 The Pirates of Seton Hall Prep, (5-1 on the season, No. 12 in NJ Top 20) found themselves trailing Caldwell on two separate occasions in the late innings. Down by 1 run in the 6th, Ryan Sheppard came through with an RBI double off the wall in right to tie the game at 3. Sheppard then scored on a base hit by Anthony Peterson to give Seton Hall a 4-3 lead. The Pirates would add one more run in the 6th to make it a 5-3 lead and RHP Ryan Toal took care of the rest in the 7th. Toal picked up the save and Seton Hall Prep came away with the comeback win. Watch Highlights of SHP and Caldwell on JSZ! #5: Saint Augustine 6 Delbarton 1 The rematch from last year’s Non- Public A State Final between No. 1 Delbarton and No. 2 St. Augustine was the must-see game for any baseball fan. Both teams came in undefeated and let’s just say the flames haven’t cooled down just yet from last June. The Green Wave struck first off a wild pitch from Cole Vanderslice to go up 1-0 in the third. That would be the only run given up from Vanderslice in his 7 strikeout game. The Hermits got the bats going in the fifth to put 4 runs on the board and took a commanding lead heading into the seventh. Virginia Tech commit Jack Billings helped add 2 more runs in the final inning to bring his stats to 2-4 with 3 RBI’s. Billings then closed out the game on the mound to earn strikeouts 4 and 5. Watch the highlights now: #4: Perth Amboy 1 St. Joe’s-Metuchen 0 (12 innings) Pitching duel or defensive showdown, call it what you want, hits and runs were tough to come by for Perth Amboy and St. Joseph Metuchen. After 12 innings of scoreless baseball, Bryan Valenzuela came to the plate with a runner on 3rd base and one thing on his mind; Winning. Valenzuela did just that, a walk off basehit to right field from the junior third baseman gave Perth Amboy a 1-0 victory over St. Joes. Jose Peralta picked up the W on the mound coming on in reflief for starter Virgilia Cabrera who went 9 1/3 innings, with 5 K’s and zero runs for the Panthers. His counterpart Jake Hellwig kept pace with 9 IP, and 6 K’s in the loss for St. Joes. Watch highlights of the extra inning thriller on JSZ! #3: Don Bosco Prep 11 Bergen Catholic 3 Don Bosco Prep traveled to Lyndhurst looking to take down their rival school Bergen Catholic for the second time in just three days. The Ironmen placed Iona bound Drew Helmstetter on the mound, and the lefty did his job. Helmstetter struck out 9 in 6 innings while allowing just 2 runs. The Don Bosco offense did its job as well, erupting for 7 runs in the 4th inning, and would go on to score 11 in the game, led by Ryan Carr (3 for 4 2RBI). Watch Highlights of Bosco – Bergen on JSZ! #2: Red Bank Catholic 7 Monmouth Regional 6 (8 innings) One of the top individual performances of 2018 came from the Shore Conference. David Glancy launched three towering solo homers in three consecutive at-bats as the Caseys rallied for an extra-innings win. RBC had a 6-2 lead in the 6th inning after Glancy’s third blast of the game, but Monmouth Regional rallied for four runs in the bottom of the frame starting with an Eli Rife 2-run homer, a Justin Scotto RBI double and a Ricky Voss base hit to left that plated Scotto. In the 8th, Ryan O’Hara hit a fly ball to left that was dropped bringing home Glancy with the game-winning run. Watch the highlights of a wild game in Tinton Falls! #1: Saint Augustine Prep 1 Delbarton 0 – Non-Public “A” State Championship It was one of the best pitchers duels of 2018. Cole Vanderslice and Jack Leiter were sensational under the lights at Hamilton Veterans Park. In the end, Vanderslice threw a complete game shutout to give the Hermits the state crown. Watch the highlights and post-game reaction from a tremendous game: 2018 JSZ Web Gems of the Year! Thanks to the great efforts from the diamond all year long. Take a look back at the best web gems captured by our cameras!
Delbarton School Reigns Supreme in New Jersey Sports
You would hard be hard pressed to find an athletic program that had a better 2017-18 campaign than The Delbarton School. The school in Morristown produced State Championships in seven different sports throughout the last year, while landing six different teams in the NJ.Com Final Top 20 Rankings in their respective sports. The Green Wave Breakdown Soccer: Non-Public A State Champions, #1 NJ Ranking Hockey: Gordon Cup Champions, Non-Public A State Champions, #1 NJ Ranking Lacrosse: Non-Public A State Champions, Tournament of Champions Winner, #1 NJ Ranking Wrestling: District, Region, & State Champions, Two Individual State Champions (Patrick Glory 126 lbs, Anthony Clark 113 lbs), #2 NJ Ranking Baseball: Non-Public A North State Champions, #6 NJ Ranking Tennis: Non-Public A State Champions, #13 NJ Ranking Track: Non-Public A State Champions Watch and Re-Live the Top Moments from Green Wave Athletics on JSZ! Patrick Glory and Anthony Clark win State Championships at Boardwalk Hall Delbarton Hockey Stuns Don Bosco, Wins 3rd Straight State Title Delbarton Soccer Completes Perfect Season with State Championship Win Delbarton Hockey Snaps Don Bosco Prep’s 22 Game Win Streak in Gordon Cup Final Green Wave LAX Wins SIXTH Straight Morris County Championship Delbarton Lacrosse Defeats Summit to Complete The TOC Three-Peat
Monmouth’s Guarino wins JSZ Web Gem of the Year
Monmouth Regional 3rd baseman Anthony Guarino won our fan vote for JSZ Web Gem of the Year. The Falcons senior is set to attend Rowan University this fall, but will officially close out his high school career next week when he plays in the Shore Conference Gridiron Classic as part of the Monmouth County squad. We stopped by Monmouth Regional to present Anthony with a JSZ Game Ball for winning the Web Gem of the Year: In case you missed it, watch all the best web gems captured by JSZ cameras on the diamond. Thanks to the athletes for all the great highlights! Take Our Poll Monmouth Building Center in Shrewsbury has been honoring Shore Conference athletes for the past four years. Thanks to the team at Monmouth Building Center for giving us the chance to honor great Shore kids in football, basketball, baseball and softball.
Olympic-Colonial wins 6th Carpenter Cup Championship
Olympic-Colonial 7 Burlington County 2 The Olympic-Colonial All-Stars used a 5-run 3rd inning to take control and win the Philadelphia Phillies Carpenter Cup for a record sixth time. Burlington County scored two runs in the top of the first, but four Olympic-Colonial pitchers combined on eight shutout innings. JSZ has the highlights of the championship game at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia:
It will be an all-NJ final for the Phillies Carpenter Cup
Burlington 6 Jersey Shore 1 Getting to live out your childhood dream of playing in the Majors doesn’t come true for many, but for the four remaining teams of the 32nd Annual Carpenter Cup Classic they got to take the field Saturday at Citizens Bank Park. The semifinal matchup between Burlington County and Jersey Shore was headlined by a six run fourth inning that included a 2 run home run from Duke bound Senior Jake Topolski of Lenape that would ultimately send ‘Burlco’ back to the championship game as they try to claim the title for the first time since 2012. Watch the highlights now: Olympic-Colonial 10 Delaware North 6 Sky Duff went 2 for 3 with a triple, a homer and 3 RBI’s to lead Olympic-Colonial into the Carpenter Cup finals. Olympic-Colonial used a five-run 9th inning to reach the championship game. SNJ Today’s Mike Frankel has the highlights from the home of the Philadelphia Phillies: Coming soon – highlights of Burlington County vs. Jersey Shore!
Three NJ teams to play at Phillies Citizens Bank Park
The Philadelphia Phillies Carpenter Cup features 16 high school baseball all-star teams from New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Delaware. The first two rounds are played in downtown Philadelphia’s FDR Park. Monday’s quarterfinals saw three New Jersey teams reach the semifinals and the chance to play this Friday at Citizens Bank Park, the home of the Philadelphia Phillies. SNJ Today’s Mike Frankel has the highlights from a thrilling South Jersey quarterfinal that saw Olympic-Colonial rally from eight runs down to reach the semifinals: Carpenter Cup Semifinals – Friday at Citizens Bank Park Delaware North vs. Olympic-Colonial, 9:30 am Burlington County vs. Jersey Shore, 1:00 pm Championship game – Saturday at 10:00 am
Vote for JSZ Spring Sports Plays of the Year!
The spring sports season saw breathtaking goals, heart-stopping hits and incredible catches on the diamond. We wrap up the 2017-18 high school sports year by asking you to cast your vote in our 2018 JSZ Spring Sports Plays of the Year. We’ll keep our polls open through Friday at 9:00 p.m. and honor the winners with a placque or a JSZ Game Ball. A special thanks to all the athletes we covered for giving us so many special highlights and thanks to you for your support of Jersey Sports Zone! Take Our Poll Take Our Poll Take Our Poll
Degen blanks Blue Devils to lead Hunterdon Central to state crown
Hunterdon Central 7 Westfield 0 – Group 4 State Championship Alex Degen threw a three-hit shutout in his final high school game and the Red Devils scored four runs in the 4th inning to seal a second state championship in the last three years. Degen struck out seven and his catcher Luke Longo shined at the plate going three for three with a walk, a run and three RBI’s. Hunterdon Central finishes the year with a 28-2 record and avenges a 7-1 regular season loss to the Blue Devils. JSZ brings you team coverage from the final game of the season in the NJSIAA at Hamilton Veterans Park: Thanks to Assemblyman Jon Bramnick for supporting JSZ’s coverage of Westfield all year long and allowing us to capture great moments like the Blue Devils state finals run on the diamond!
Watch Sunday 6.10 JSZ Baseball State Championship Highlights
Pascack Hills 3 Raritan 2 (8 innings) – Group 2 State Championship Chris Lum was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded in the top of the eighth inning to give Pascack Hills an 18th straight win and a Group 2 state title. The Cowboys scored a pair of runs in the top of the second on RBI doubles from Lum and Marc Hernandez to take a 2-0 lead. Raritan rallied for two runs on a bases-loaded walk and a wild pitch. Zack Johnston pitched five shutout innings after the second to put Raritan in a position to shock NJ’s #1 ranked team, but Jack Brodsky matched goose eggs with four shutout innings in relief. Raritan got a single and a walk with two outs in the bottom of the 8th, but a pop out to 3rd ended the game and gave Pascack Hills its 30th win of the season. Watch the highlights of a tremendous game in Hamilton Township: Jersey Sports Zone’s coverage of Raritan is made possible by our friends at BCB-Bayshore, Your Community Bank A special thanks to Reach Your Potential Training for partnering with Jersey Sports Zone to spotlight their athletes all year long! Somerville 3 Allentown 2 – Group 3 State Championship Bobby Wortman threw back-to-back strikeouts with the bases loaded in the bottom of the 7th inning to give the Pioneers their first overall group state baseball championship by defeating the defending champions. Somerville broke a 1-1 tie with an RBI triple from freshman Matt Miceli followed by a Preston Scott RBI double. Thomas Babalis pitched six strong innings and turned things over to Wortman who pitched masterfully under immense pressure. JSZ has all the highlights from a thrilling state final: Jersey Sports Zone’s coverage of Allentown is made possible by Princeton Orthopaedic Associates
Watch 2018 Baseball State Final Highlights 6.9
St. Augustine 1 Delbarton 0 – Non- Public A Final Cole Vanderslice threw a complete game 2-hit masterpiece to outduel Jack Leiter and give the Hermits a state championship after falling in the finals in the previous two years. Both pitchers were dominant against potent lineups. Leiter, who came into the game with 8 consecutive no-hit innings, was able to put up four more hitless frames before Kevin Easie had an infield single to lead off the 5th. Easie moved to third base following a pair of outs. A squeeze attempt failed, but with Easie off the bag at third the throw went into left field which resulted in the only run of the game. Watch the highlights of an outstanding game on Saturday night in Hamilton: Gloucester Catholic 10 DePaul 3 – Non- Public B Final The Rams raced out to a 4-0 first inning lead and built an 8-0 advantage as freshman Anthony Solometo pitched five shutout innings with 11 strikeouts to give Gloucester Catholic a second straight Non-Public “B” state championship. Luke Lesch hit a two-run HR in the first inning and had three RBI’s to lead Gloucester Catholic’s 10-hit attack. JSZ has the highlights and post-game reaction from Hamilton Veteran’s Park: Middlesex 3 Park Ridge 0 – NJSIAA Group 1 State Championship Middlesex captured their second consecutive Group 1 State Title with a 3-0 win over Park Ridge Saturday afternoon. It was clear from the beginning it would be a close game as both teams were unable to score in the first three innings. In the fourth the Blue Jays would score a run off an error on a bunt to lead Park Ridge 1-0. Ryan Vollmer would then send a 2 RBI shot to center to make it a three run game. Starting pitcher Kyle Nepton dominated on the mound, throwing a one hit shutout to lead Middlesex to it’s fifth State Championship. Watch the highlights now:
Seneca’s Nick Decker talks MLB Draft, family and baseball
Most kids have the dream at a young age of one day playing baseball in the Majors, Seneca’s Nick Decker made that dream a reality when he was selected in the second round of the 2018 MLB Draft by the Boston Red Sox with the 64th overall pick. Decker just weeks away from graduating from high school already personifies what a ball player is with his attitude and respect for the game he loves so dearly. Whether his decision is to play for the University of Maryland or professionally, Nick’s support system will be right behind him to guide the promising center fielder in the right direction. JSZ’s Nery Rodriguez caught up with the South Jersey sensation after his final high school game:
Watch JSZ’s Highlights of Baseball State Semifinals from 6.5 now!
Hunterdon Central 3 Jackson Memorial 1 – Group 4 State Semifinal at Rider University Jackson Memorial scored first in this group four semifinal, but the Red Devils’ Pete Ciuffreda came in clutch during the 4th inning and scored the go-ahead run. Central is heading to their third straight state final where they will have a rematch with the Westfield Blue Devils, one of only two teams who defeated Central this season. Check out highlights of today’s game now: Middlesex – 4 Pennsville – 3 | NJSIAA Group 1 Semi-Finals Middlesex High School was pushed to extra innings after surrendering a 2-0 lead Pennsville, but The Blue Jays never gave up. Jack Hnylycia delivered on what he called “a dream come true” in the bottom of the 8th inning, hitting a walk off single to give Middlesex a 4-3 win over Pennsville. Up next for the Blue Jay will be the Group-1 State Championship game this weekend where they will take on Park Ridge. Watch highlights and post game from Middlesex vs Pennsville on JSZ! Allentown 13 Seneca 0 – Group 3 State Semifinal at Monmouth University The hit train continued to roll for Allentown in the Semifinal round of the Group 3 State Tournament. Despite Seneca’s Nick Decker being selected by the Boston Red Sox in the 2018 MLB Draft just hours earlier, the Red Birds were the ones celebrating as they had a 12-0 lead at the end of the second. Brandon Gaul and Justin Marcario combined for 5 RBI’s while pitcher AJ Ariano pitched a 5 hit shut out. Allentown will face Somerville the State Final on 6/9 at Veteran’s Park (Hamilton). Watch the highlights now: Sponsor! Thank you to Princeton Orthopaedic Associates for sponsoring our Allentown coverage year-round on JSZ! Raritan 5 Haddonfield 1 – Group 2 State Semifinals Zack Johnston threw a three-hitter on just 73 pitches to lead Raritan to the state finals. The Rockets took advantage of four Haddonfield errors in the 3rd to score three runs and followed that with a two-run fourth inning. John Christino blasted a solo homer to left to account for the Bulldogs only run. Raritan will face Pascack Hills this weekend for the Group 2 state championship. Watch the highlights of the Rockets state semifinal win at East Brunswick High School: Jersey Sports Zone thanks BCB Bayshore-Your Community Bank for allowing us to bring you great Raritan Rockets moments all year long Saint Augustine Prep 6 Notre Dame 1 – Non-Public South “A” Finals It’s a three-peat for the Hermits who got homers from Nick Lonetto and Kenny Levari to account for five of their six runs. Kevin Eaise threw five strong innings for Saint Augustine Prep, who will face Delbarton for the Non-Public “A” state championship this weekend. SNJ Today’s Mike Frankel has the highlights from South Jersey: Sponsor! Thank you to Princeton Orthopaedic Associates for sponsoring our Notre Dame coverage year-round on JSZ!
Eastern prevails in extras to win Diamond Classic
Eastern 4 Saint Augustine Prep 1 – Diamond Classic Championship Jesse Barbera threw an eight-inning complete game and Eastern scored three runs in the 8th inning to win the 45th annual Joe Hartmann Diamond Classic on its home field despite being the away team. Eastern ends Saint Augustine Prep’s 13 game win streak, but the Hermits are still in the hunt for a state championship. SNJ Today’s Mike Frankel has highlights from the South Jersey baseball tournament staple:
Toms River North repeats as Shore Conference Champs
Toms River North 4 Central Regional 0 – Shore Conference Tournament Championship Jared Bellissimo threw a 4-hit shutout with 11 strikeouts and blasted a two-run RBI double to centerfield to lead the Mariners to a second straight Shore Conference title. TRN jumped out to a 2-0 lead thanks to RBI singles by Justin Schaff and Bobby Jeans in the first and second inning. Central loaded the bases in the 6th inning with one out, but Bellissimo struck out two straight to get out of the jam. JSZ has the highlights of Toms River North’s second straight SCT title from the home of the Lakewood BlueClaws: Jersey Sports Zone is able to capture great moments from Toms River North thanks to Peak Coaching for Success. Visit peakcoachingforsuccess.com to learn more about their Athlete Development Camp this summer!
Check out JSZ’s State Playoff Baseball Highlights from 6.1
Immaculata 6 Holy Spirit 5 (11 innings) – Non-Public “B” North Semifinals Holy Spirit lead the Spartans 5-1 late in the game, but in the bottom of the 7th Mike Golankiewics crushed a three-run homer to tie it up and send us into extra innings. Then in the bottom of the 11th, starting pitcher Nolan Leger, ripped a grounder through the infield for the walk-off Immaculata victory. Highlights available: Allentown 6 Wall 5 – Central Group 3 Final It’s not often a defending State Champions is an underdog coming into a Sectional Title game, but third seed Allentown found themselves in this scenario facing top seed and No. 6 in the NJ Top 20 Wall for the Central Group 3 crown. The Red Birds got off to a hot start jumping out to a 4-0 lead in the first. That trend would continue to help them go ahead 6-2 in the fifth. However, the Crimson Knights rallied to come within a run entering the sixth inning. Freshman two sport standout Dan Merkel came into relief already with an RBI in the game to finish with 4 strike outs and help the unranked Red Birds claim another Sectional Title. Watch the highlights now: Sponsor! Thank you to Princeton Orthopaedic Associates for sponsoring our Allentown coverage on JSZ! Notre Dame 4 Red Bank Catholic 2 – Non-Public “A” South Semifinals Robbie Buecker threw a complete game five-hitter with seven strikeouts and the Irish used a three-run sixth inning to continue its magical run as a #9 seed in the state playoffs. Jon Michael Rotondo hit a two run homer in the 4th to give the Caseys a 2-0 lead, but Notre Dame rallied in the sixth capped off by a Mike Kane RBI single that gave the Irish the lead . JSZ has highlights and post-game reaction from another big win for Notre Dame: Jersey Sports Zone’s coverage of Notre Dame is made possible by Princeton Orthopaedic Associates. Thanks to Playa Bowls of Red Bank for allowing us to bring you great moments from RBC sports all year long Westfield – 4 Millburn – 2 | North 2 Group 4 Final It’s been quite a week for Westfield’s Cory Hiltz. On Thursday, Hiltz announced he will play college baseball at Monmouth University, Hiltz then followed up that decision on Friday by tossing a complete game 4 hit gem, leading the Blue Devils to the North 2 Group 4 Championship over MIllburn. Westfield will now advance to the Group 4 Semi-Finals where they will play Ridgewood on Tuesday. Watch Highlights of Westfield vs Millburn on JSZ! Sponsor Alert! Coverage of Westfield is brought to you by Jon Bramnick. Thanks to this sponsor JSZ can bring you exciting Westfield highlights! Hunterdon Central 4 Manalapan 0 – Central Group 4 Final Alex Degen started on the mound for the Red Devils, but it was an unusual day for the senior Kentucky commit. Struggling to control his fastball and curve throughout the first three innings, Degen was forced to change his pitching style. Fortunately for Central, Degen showed that even on his worst day he is still a champion. He pitched 6 shutout innings, while Dan Icaza helped him out offensively at the plate, and the Red Devil took down Manalapan 4-0. Check out highlights now: Pennsville 8 Glassboro 0 – South Jersey Group 1 Finals Cody Durham threw a five-hit shutout and seven different Eagles had RBI’s in the Eagles South Jersey Group 1 championship win. SNJ Today’s Mike Frankel has the highlights:
Toms River North returns to Shore Conference baseball finals
Toms River North 6 Monmouth Regional 0 – Shore Conference Tournament Semifinal Jared Bellissimo and Brendan Mullins combined on a four-hit shutout and the Mariners used back to back three-run frames in the 2nd and 3rd to reach the SCT finals for a second straight year. Toms River North will face Central Regional in the championship game on Monday night at the home of the Lakewood BlueClaws. JSZ has highlights of the defending champs getting the win at Count Basie Park in Red Bank: Jersey Sports Zone is able to capture great moments from Toms River North thanks to Peak Coaching for Success. Visit peakcoachingforsuccess.com to learn more about their Athlete Development Camp this summer!
Watch JSZ State Baseball Playoff Highlights from 5.29
Wall 3 Hopewell Valley 1 – Central Group 3 Semifinals Following their first ever County Title win fourth seed Hopewell Valley’s next task would be even tougher as they faced top seed Wall, who had Ace Trey Dombroski on the mound. Dombroski in his Junior season has been worth the price of admission in 2018 as he allowed just three runs all year heading into Tuesday’s Central Group 3 Semifinal game. Wall took an early 1-0 lead in the first before going ahead 3-0 in the fifth off Dylan Richey and Grant Shulman RBI’s. However, Trey Dombroski stole the performance with his 8 strike out performance that allowed just 5 hits and 1 earned run to send the Crimson Knights to the Central Group 3 Final where they will face defending Champs, third seed Allentown on 6/1. Watch the highlights and post game interview with Dombroski afterwards now: Sponsor! Thank you to Princeton Orthopaedic Associates for sponsoring our Hopewell Valley coverage year- round on JSZ! Westfield 6 Scotch Plains-Fanwood 4 – North 2 Group 4 State Semifinals Westfield played their rivals, the Scotch Plains-Fanwood Raiders, in the North 2 Group 4 State Semifinals. Starting pitcher for the Blue Devils, Mike Carlone picked up the win with 7 strikeouts, while Andrew Caminiti provided support at short. Check out highlights of the Blue Devil’s 6-4 win now: Sponsor Alert! Coverage of Westfield is brought to you by Jon Bramnick. Thanks to this sponsor JSZ can bring you exciting Westfield highlights! Notre Dame 4 CBA 1 – Non-Public South “A” Quarterfinals The Irish used back to back RBI doubles with two outs in the third inning and a strong pitching performance from Tom Mayer to upset the #1 seed in Non-Public South “A”. Mayer pitched six innings giving up just three hits and one run and Robbie Buecker had an RBI double and pitched the seventh inning to notch the save. The #9 seed returns to the Shore Conference in the sectional semifinals and a matchup with 5th seed Red Bank Catholic. JSZ has the highlights and post-game reaction from the upset: Thanks to Princeton Orthopaedic Associates for allowing us to capture great moments from Mercer County including Notre Dame’s big upset win in the state playoffs! Allentown – 12 Jackson Liberty – 4 | Central Jersey Group 3 Semi-Finals Allentown High School is on a quest to defend it’s Central Jersey Group 3 Championship from 2017, and the 3rd seeded RedBird’s latest test was on the road at Jackson Liberty. 8 of 9 batters in the Allentown lineup reached base at least once, as the RedBirds posted 12 runs on 11 hits and came away with a commanding 12-4 win. Allentown advances to the Sectional Final this Friday where they will take on top seeded Wall Township. Watch Highlights of Allentown’s playoff win on JSZ! Thanks to Princeton Orthopaedic Associates for allowing us to capture great moments from Allentown High School athletics!
Pascack Hills wins first Bergen County baseball title since 1987
Pascack Hills 3 Don Bosco Prep 1 – Bergen County Tournament Finals Brandon Siegenthaler’s two-run homer in the third inning proved to be the difference as the Cowboys won the Bergen County title for the first time since 1987. Pascack Hills jumped out to an early 1-0 lead in the top of the first thanks to a Ryan Ramsey RBI single. The Cowboys got a two-out rally in the 3rd as Mike Rodriguez delivered a base hit to left followed by Siegenthaler’s blast that cleared the left field fence. Jack Brodsky threw five innings giving up just one run and striking out nine and exiting the game after 88 pitches. Siegenthaler got a key 6-4-3 double play in the 6th and struck out the final two batters to lock down the save and clinch the title. JSZ has the highlights and post-game reaction from Demarest: JSZ Game Ball Winner Earlier this season, Don Bosco pitcher Drew Helmstetter won a North Jersey JSZ Game Ball. Jersey Sports Zone delivered Drew’s Game Ball during the Bergen County Tournament finals. Thanks to all the great Don Bosco fans for voting and congratulations to Drew!
Hopewell tops rival Nottingham 4-2 for first ever County Title!
After rain delays postponed the 2018 Mercer County Tournament two weeks fans were finally treated to an epic 4-2 showdown between NJ Top 20 teams (3) Nottingham and top seeded Hopewell Valley. The Bulldogs got behind Ace pitcher Andy Blake who would keep the game scoreless through four innings before scoring the first run of the game. Following a 2 RBI double from Liam Cleary, Blake then drove in a run to extend the lead to 4-0. After surrendering a 2R HR to Nottingham’s Nick Houghton he would also buckle down for the last six outs and finish the day with 7 strike outs to lead Hopewell Valley to its first ever County Title. Watch the highlights: Sponsor! Thank you to Princeton Orthopaedic Associates for sponsoring our Hopewell Valley and Nottingham coverage year- round on JSZ!
Teschkos lead Gateway into South Jersey Group 1 Semis
Gateway 4 Audubon 1 – South Jersey Group 1 Quarterfinals Kevin and Ryan Teschko combined for 11 strikeouts on the hill and Ryan belted a two-run homer to lead Gateway into the South Jersey Group 1 semifinals. SNJ Today’s Mike Frankel has the South Jersey state baseball playoff highlights:
Hopewell Valley baseball takes down rival Nottingham to reach Semifinals!
(4) Hopewell Valley 9 (5) Nottingham 2 – Central Group 3 Quarterfinals It was the match up everyone in the Colonial Valley Conference has been waiting for all season. Originally scheduled as the Mercer County Tournament Title Game, rain forced two of NJ’s Top 20 teams to square off in the Central Group 3 quarterfinal round instead. Fourth seed Hopewell Valley got ahead early following a six run fourth inning started by Drew Brodine. Nottingham would counter with a pair of runs on the board in the fifth, but the Bulldogs repeated their performance in the bottom of the inning to hold on for a 9-2 win. Hopewell will take on top seeded Wall in the Semifinals on May 29th. Watch the highlights now: Sponsor! Thank you to Princeton Orthopaedic Associates for sponsoring our Hopewell Valley and Nottingham coverage year- round on JSZ!
Watch JSZ 5.21 State Baseball Playoff Highlights
Raritan 1 Rumson-Fair Haven 0 (9 innings) – Central Jersey Group 2 Shawn O’Hea delivered the walk-off game-winner in the bottom of the 9th as the Rockets got a nine-inning complete game shutout from Zack Johnston to advance to the quarterfinals in Central Jersey Group 2. Johnston and Alex Burnett were locked in a tremendous pitcher’s duel. Burnett exited the game after seven innings and reaching his pitch count. Johnston wiggled out of a bases-loaded jam in the top of the 7th and threw just 99 pitches in his nine-inning gem. JSZ has the highlights and post-game reaction from a great Shore Conference battle in the state playoffs: Jersey Sports Zone’s coverage of Rumson-Fair Haven is brought to you by ServPro of Eatontown-Long Branch. Great Raritan moments are possible thanks to our friends at BCB Bayshore – Your Community Bank Sayreville 2 Princeton 0 – Central Group 4 The opening round of the Central Group 4 State Tournament saw a great pitching battle between 13th seed Princeton and fourth seeded Sayreville. In the first two innings Ben Amon for Princeton and Christian Aich for Sayreville both had six strike outs. The Bombers would put 2 runs on the board with a sac fly and a double from Anthony Gambardella to advance to the quarterfinals where they will face fifth seed Old Bridge who eliminated them for the Greater Middlesex Conference Tournament. Sponsor! Thank you to Princeton Orthopaedic Associates for sponsoring our Princeton coverage on JSZ! Schalick 4 Cape May Tech – South Jersey Group 1 Ethan Long’s RBI double in the bottom of the 7th plated the game-winner. SNJ Today’s Mike Frankel brings us the highlights: